A local hospital and physician claim they have been wrongly named in a medical-malpractice suit and will ask appellate justices later this month to reverse a lower judge's ruling denying their motion to dismiss.

As the Southeast Texas Record reported in October 2008, the family of the late Laura Sebile filed suit against Memorial Hermann Baptist Beaumont Hospital, two doctors and an anesthesiologist, claiming her death was caused because of their negligence.

In his suit, plaintiff Paul Sebile Sr., along with seven of his children, claims his wife -- who was 70-years old and morbidly obese -- died on Nov. 8, 2006, after doctors performed an "unnecessary heart surgery."

In requirements with Texas Civil Law, the plaintiff's attached the expert opinion of Dr. Shabir Bhimji, a cardiothoracic surgeon, to the suit.

In response, Baptist Hospital and Dr. Juan Gonzales, the anesthesiologist named in the suit, separately objected to the plaintiff's allegations and expert report, calling the suit's accusations vague and broad and the expert report unspecific.